


Nobby Nobbs Saw Death

by CorrineWrites



Series: Nobby Nobbs Saw Death [1]
Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: (aka nobby's terrible childhood), Ficlet, Headcanon, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, there is a character death at the end but don't even worry yourself it's fine and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-30 05:13:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5151581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorrineWrites/pseuds/CorrineWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An incomplete list of the times Nobby Nobbs has seen or met Death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nobby Nobbs Saw Death

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pintpotjudas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pintpotjudas/gifts).



> A while ago I was having lots of Feels about Fred and Nobby. My best friend replied with 'Nobby looked at Death and managed to see He was a Susan. How often has Nobby seen Death, d'you reckon, to notice that?'. I came to thinking about this again today, and here we are. Said best friend contributed a little of the final part.

Nobby Nobbs saw Death at two days old, freezing and starving in the damp space his family lived. He doesn’t remember this, but Death remembers - if ‘remembers’ is the right word - everything. I’M SORRY, he says.

Nobby Nobbs saw Death, when he could see anything at all through the tears and the grime and the swelling, a few times in the alleyways around his home where he went to recover from his father’s rage. One time Death leant him a handkerchief. 

Nobby Nobbs saw Death on the Glorious 25th of May, as he sobbed and wailed amongst the fallen, clutching a spoon as arrows rained down around him. Death went about his business, but paused to nod to Nobby before leaving. Nobby felt a little better.

Nobby Nobbs saw Death while he picked over the debris of the battlefield, looking for easily-transportable valuables and not caring about who or where they came from. At nineteen he was past that now, far beyond squeamishness and misplaced respect. But as he saw Death about his own solemn task, he did feel a twinge of shame. 

Nobby Nobbs saw Death as the great dragon swooped over Ankh-Morpork, sitting astride his horse and staring somewhat wistfully at the huge beast.The horse shook it’s mane and snorted, disgruntled. 

Nobby Nobbs saw Death in the back streets of the city, walking past as Nobby reluctantly assisted in breaking up a bar fight and finding himself sandwiched between two far more immense beings. An axe swung. DUCK, he suggested.

Nobby Nobbs saw Death after his last moments, at a far greater age than anyone could have predicted. 

_“Cor,” he said, standing straighter than he had in decades. “That was it then, was it?”_

_IT WAS_

_Nobby shuffled his feet, rooting behind his ear for the shadow of a cigarette. “Fancy a pint?”_

_A PINT OF WHAT?_

_“You know, a pint.” The expressionless skull watched him expectantly. “Of beer, Mister Death.”_

_Death appeared to consider this. YES, he eventually concluded. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE._

_“You not got a local then?” The smaller figure enquired, as the pair strode (and sidled, because some things never die) away._

_I KNOW A PLACE._


End file.
